Browns Pro Bowler Announces Shocking Starting Quarterback Prediction

The biggest talking point up until and throughout Cleveland Browns training camp is a simple one. One Browns fans have reluctantly grown accustomed to asking for decades.

Who will be the starting quarterback?

Kevin Stefankski and staff will be tasked with deciding between four signal-callers in one of the most intriguing position competitions around the league.

Joe Flacco has returned to Cleveland after a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts last year. Kenny Pickett was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles after he backed up the Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts in 2024. Then Cleveland generated waves of speculation that carried NFL Draft content for weeks by picking experienced Oregon lefty Dillon Gabriel and famed NFL legacy Shedeur Sanders from Colorado.

All four were in action throughout mandatory minicamp a few weeks ago, and now until training camp commences in about a month, it's time for fans and the media to give their best predictions for who will win the job.

Browns players have also gotten in on guessing who the next starter will be.

Former Pro Bowl receiver Diontae Johnson made what some might say a surprising pick for who will be throwing him the football.

"I think [The Browns] are gonna roll with Kenny right now," Johnson said on The Comeback podcast.

He mentioned that Pickett has gotten some reps with the first team at minicamp, but that Flacco has also rotated in with the starters.

Johnson did clarify that he expects Pickett to start the preseason games, as it's unnecessary for the 41-year-old Flacco to get learner reps in those contests. "They can live with what Joe can bring to the table," Johnson said about the Browns eventually turning to him.

Flacco has fielded the most projections to start thanks to his experience, but both rookies have generated a lot of buzz after solid showings at minicamp.

Pickett, 27, is entering his fourth year in the NFL. He spent his first two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was teammates with Johnson. The wideout brought in nearly 1,600 yards and five touchdowns in those two years with Pickett under center as the predominant starter.

Johnson bounced around in 2024, spending time on three separate teams before signing a cheap one-year contract with the Browns this offseason.

After a mad shuffle last season, Johnson could finally get back to some familiarity if his prediction comes true and Pickett becomes the Browns' starting quarterback this season.